OAKLAND — Gov. Gavin Newsom’s workplace took Oakland officers to process this week for shirking their duty to clear a big, fire-prone West Oakland homeless camp — and threatened to withhold hundreds of thousands in state funding.
In a letter to Oakland Metropolis Legal professional Barbara Parker, the governor’s workplace accused town of washing its fingers of nearly all of the Wooden Road homeless encampment residents as a result of they're camped on land that's owned by Caltrans — not town.
“We write at this time out of concern that town of Oakland is aiming to keep away from duty for offering shelter and housing help to people on the harmful encampment generally often known as ‘Wooden Road,’ regardless of vital state funding the Metropolis has obtained, and is receiving, for this objective over the past two years,” Ann Patterson, Newsom’s authorized affairs secretary, wrote.
Newsom has made clearing California’s homeless encampments a precedence, and the state has allotted $300 million to Oakland and Alameda County to struggle homelessness for the reason that COVID-19 pandemic started — together with $4.7 million just lately awarded to Oakland particularly to handle the Wooden Road encampment. In its letter, the governor’s workplace threatened to redirect state funding to different native governments which can be “prepared and capable of serve the residents of Oakland in achievement of clear tasks outlined in state legislation.”
A number of hundred individuals are estimated to stay in tents, make-shift shacks, automobiles and RVs alongside a number of blocks of Wooden Road and in adjoining vacant land owned by Caltrans. The camp has been a significant level of competition for months, significantly after a fireplace there final month despatched clouds of black smoke billowing via the realm and closed parts of the Interstate 80 and 880 overpasses. One other fireplace Tuesday, which ignited an RV and particles surrounding the automobile, introduced 20 firefighters to the scene.
Following the primary fireplace, Caltrans mentioned it deliberate to shut the camps on its land — displacing an estimated 200 individuals — by the primary week of August. A gaggle of encampment residents promptly sued, and late final month, a federal choose dominated the transit company can not shut the camp till at the very least the top of August, as a result of it has but to formulate a plan to relocate the residents. Each side are scheduled to seem in court docket once more subsequent week to find out subsequent steps.
In his order, U.S. District Choose William Orrick ordered Caltrans to work with officers from Oakland, Alameda County and Newsom’s workplace to determine the place the encampment residents can go. Metropolis spokeswoman Jean Walsh mentioned Oakland has engaged in these talks.
“Metropolis discussions with Caltrans and the county have recognized attainable choices to help Caltrans’ shelter wants,” Walsh mentioned in an e-mail. “All events are working to determine sources essential to help sheltering roughly 200 people on state land.”
However Patterson’s letter claims town solely just lately “lastly confirmed” a gathering time with Caltrans’ attorneys to debate town’s function in mitigating the encampment.
The town resumed work clearing the portion of the camp on Wooden Road this week, however specified it doesn't have authority to clear or handle encampments on Caltrans land. Metropolis outreach groups have engaged with greater than a dozen individuals residing on Wooden Road — six accepted placements in shelters, 4 agreed to maneuver right into a protected RV parking website, and three declined town’s affords.
Metropolis officers plan to make use of the $4.7 million grant from the state to construct a 50-unit shelter on the location modeled after the tiny house or “cabin communities” Oakland has stood up in half-a-dozen different areas all through town. It plans to later add an extra 50 models.
Within the meantime, Caltrans mentioned the company will “proceed coordinating” with Oakland and the county.
“Caltrans’ duty is to make sure the protection of the touring public and to guard and keep California’s freeway infrastructure,” spokeswoman Janis Mara wrote in an emailed assertion. “The court docket’s non permanent order will delay efforts to handle the more and more critical security dangers to life, property and infrastructure on the encampment, together with from the current fireplace that prompted the closure of the MacArthur Maze.”
Newsom’s workplace requested town to reply to its letter by Friday.
“Underneath state legislation, working with homeless people to determine housing or shelter alternate options is an area, not a state, duty,” Patterson wrote. “Accordingly, our workplace expects the Metropolis to take steps according to its duty, together with providing non permanent shelter for people within the Wooden Road encampment. Failure to take action might consequence within the redirection of discretionary funding sources.”